Campaign to save dog from being put down because of the way he looks receives 130,000 signatures

Hank's owners say he is a Staffy-Labrador cross and has never attacked anyone

Hank was two years old when taken by the council for "assessment" (Joanne Meadows)

A campaign to save the life of a one-year-old dog who faces being killed because of the way he looks has attracted nearly 130,000 signatures.

Hank was seized from his owners by Belfast City Council earlier this month to undergo an "assessment".

His owners, Leonard Collins and Joanne Meadows, were shocked when eight police officers and four dog wardens appeared at their home and took the dog on the grounds that he could be a banned breed of Bull Terrier.

The couple say Hank is a Staffy-Labrador cross and claim he has never attacked anyone.

The change.org petition states: "[Hank] has been condemned to die because he looks like a pitbull.

"This petition is to raise awareness of Hank and other dogs like him facing death due to Breed Specific Legislation (BSL)."

During a television interview on This Morning, Mr Collins said: “He’s technically still a puppy. He isn’t two-years-old.

"He barks at people in the street, which is something we're working to remove. But he’s never attacked anybody or shown aggressive behaviour.”

A Facebook page called 'Save Hank' has been set up to support the cause, and attracted more than 200 members in 12 hours.

Following the public outrage, Belfast City Council has been bombarded with "spam emails" as people "from around the world" are expressing their anger over the removal of Hank from his owners.

The Council believes the attacks are "more organised" following a similar outrage four years ago after a dog named Lennox was condemned to death in Belfast after being judged a dangerous breed.

A spokesperson told The Independent: "As a result of the Lennox case we were bombarded with well-organised abuse."

Belfast City Council has issued a statement explaining the decision will be made “based on the dog’s characteristics which determine if it is a pit bull terrier type breed” and on judging whether the dog “poses a danger to the public”.

It stated: “If the dog is not a banned breed, it is returned to its owner; if the dog is deemed to be of a banned breed, and judged to present a danger to the public, the matter is referred to the courts for a magistrate to decide whether a destruction order should be issued.”

Alongside the petition, a crowdfunding page has been set up to raise money in case there is a court case. The page has raised more than £1,500.

Mr Collins wrote on the page: “Our only legal recourse is to fight this in the courts.

“The best chance at returning Hank to his home is to prove that he is not dangerous, which is costly due to the need for professional opinion.”